Hercule Poirot quitte la scène (1975)

A revolving bookcase in an Innovations catalogue* brought be back to the final Poirot novel, but written many years (30ish) earlier so it's chronologically more aligned to her pre war novels. On this reading I found it a little unengaging, but that may've been me. The plot takes us back to where Poirot began, the house Styles, where he is staying, a physically broken man, and where he has invited his faithful friend Hastings, to help prevent a murder. So an oddity in many ways but a completion of the Poirot story. *To say more would be a spoiler!

Classic Agatha Christie, with twists and turns you don't expect, but still the ending isn't totally a surprise because at least once or more, you anticipated who was the killer. In this case, there is a surprise twist at the end. I don't know if I've just read so much of her work that I can anticipate her, or if the clues were obvious, or maybe I read this before (I don't remember this one) and subconsciously remembered at least part of the ending. Overall, a fun, quick read, ideal for a time when you don't want to have to think too hard. The characters are standard archetypes and that makes it even more enjoyable since it usually isn't the archetype you would most expect that commits the murder. ( )

Este volumen final de la serie que ha deleitado al mundo desde que en 1920, será considerado por los admiradores de Hércules Poirot como el mejor de todos aunque entristecidos por la que va a ser su última aparición. En Telón, la rueda ha completado una vuelta y el detective belga vuelve una vez más a la casa en que dio la campanada la primera novela policíaca de Agatha Christie: El misterioso caso de Styles. Styles es ahora una casa de huéspedes y Poirot uno de ellos, cuando invita a su viejo amigo Hastings a reunirse con él y le confía los motivos profesionales que piden este encuentro. Entre sus actuales moradores se halla el responsable de varios asesinatos, alguien a quién la justicia no puede alcanzar y que Poirot se resiste a nombrar. Pero pronto se produce una nueva muerte en Styles y, esta vez la hija de Hastings se encuentra entre los sospechosos. ¡A pesar de haber sido testigo presencial del crimen! Escrita hace ya treinta años, pero guardada hasta el presente inédita, esta novela es un continuo triunfo del "clímax", hasta la secuencia en la que Poirot resuelve el último caso de su vida literaria, con la brillante y poco ortodoxa forma característica.

4/8/22

“Curtain” is an apt title for this Poirot mystery, as it is his last case.

The setting is a country house called “Styles,” the site of his first case and where he met the person he would partner with on many cases — Arthur Hastings. This makes for a full circle of Poirot’s life. The story is told by Hastings.

Poirot is in bad health and has asked Hastings to meet at Styles. Among the guests at Styles is Hastings’ daughter, who is working with a research doctor. There is the retired colonel and his sharped tongued wife who runs the guest home; the research doctor and his invalided wife and her nurse; three single men and a single woman — among them is a murderer.

The murderer has struck in five instances and five locations, and will probably strike again. Poirot intends to stop the murderer

It is a traditional Christie mystery, with locked room, people roaming the halls after all have gone to bed, secrets and atmosphere. It is the twists and turns and red herrings that are unexpected. ( )